To: Work Safe Victoria
We can't stand the heat, let us out of the kitchen!
I've been a chef for ten years. I love the job and I enjoy the hard work. Chefs are used to long, hard shifts in hot environments. But in the Summer months when outside temperatures can exceed 40 degrees chefs are slaving over hot stoves in temperatures up to 65 degrees. Heat exhaustion and dehydration are common. We want a temperature limit.
Why is this important?
Working in a 60 degree kitchen is dangerous. I drink 3-4 litres of water a day but I can't keep up. By the end of my shift I feel woozy and light headed, I've seen colleagues faint at their benches. We work in a hazardous environment but when we're unable to concentrate properly these hazards are multiplied. I'm calling on Work Safe Victoria to introduce a maximum working temperature for kitchen staff much like those implemented in other industries.